On this episode of Slate Money, hosts Felix Salmon of Fusion, Cathy O’Neil of mathbabe.org, Slate’s Moneybox columnist Jordan Weissmann, and Paul Ford of Postlight discuss Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn.

Topics discussed on today’s show include:

-Why Microsoft wanted LinkedIn.

-The debt vs overseas cash question and the stock-based compensation question behind this deal.

-How the options-trading going on here raises doubt about insider trading.

Check out other Panoply podcasts at itunes.com/panoply.

Slate Money is brought to you by ZipRecruiter. With ZipRecruiter, you can post your job to more than 100 job sites with a single click and an interface that's easy to use. And right now, you can try it for free! Go to ZipRecruiter.com/money.

And by Goldman Sachs. To learn about developments currently shaping markets, industries, and the global economy, subscribe to the firm’s podcast, ‘Exchanges at Goldman Sachs,’ available on iTunes.

And by Ritani. Buying an engagement ring? Check out Ritani. Shop online and your ring is made in New York and sent to you or a local jeweler. It’s that easy. Go to ritani.com/money today for their free diamond giveaway.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The I'd Like to Add You to My Professional Network Edition